View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Trace University of Tennessee, Knoxville Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects University of Tennessee Honors Program 5-2012 Generation Y and Sustainability Shelby L. Talbott [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj Part of the Advertising and Promotion Management Commons, and the Marketing Commons Recommended Citation Talbott, Shelby L., "Generation Y and Sustainability" (2012). University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/1498 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Tennessee Honors Program at Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects by an authorized administrator of Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Generation Y and Sustainability An Exploratory Study of the Importance of Using Sustainability to Target Generation Y Consumers Student: Shelby Talbott Thesis Advisor: Mark E. Collins 2 3 ABSTRACT With the growing trends of eco-friendly actions and sustainability initiatives, one might question the role of the corporation in establishing a stance on these issues. Should corporations be held to the same standards as individuals when it comes to sustainability or are they held to a higher standard? While the answer to this question can be argued indefinitely, each consumer has their own thoughts on the issue and is increasingly voting with their dollars for companies who have the same values and beliefs as themselves. With Generation Y beginning to enter middle age and their years of the highest spending, it is crucial for companies to understand the expectations this generation has of the companies with which they interact and begin to build strong brand loyalties. The following piece is an exploratory study of the sentiments of Generation Y consumers towards the purpose of sustainability within a corporation, the expectations this generation has of the companies with which they interact, and the weight they put on these actions in terms of motivation to continue purchasing from these companies. 4 Table of Contents I. Introduction 5 A. Statement of Problem 5 B. Purpose of Study 5 C. Definitions of Key Terms 6 II. Literature Review 8 A. Climate Change and Awareness of Footprint 8 B. Sustainability and Green Initiatives as a Trend 9 C. Generation Y Differences 11 D. Market Demands of Generation Y 12 III. Methodology 13 A. Research Questions 13 B. Research Design 14 C. Collection of Data 16 D. Analysis of Data 16 IV. Findings and Discussion 24 5 A. Description of Findings 24 B. Implications 26 C. Potential Future Research 27 V. Summary 29 VI. Appendix 30 VII. References 32 INTRODUCTION Statement of Problem With the growing trends of eco-friendly actions and sustainability initiatives, one might question the role of the corporation when it comes to incorporating sustainability into their business models. Should corporations be held to the same standards as individuals when it comes to sustainability or are they held to a higher standard? While the answer to this questions can be argued indefinitely, each consumer has their own thoughts on the issue and are increasingly voting with their dollars for companies who have the same values and beliefs as themselves. With Generation Y beginning to enter into middle age and their years of the highest spending, it is crucial for companies to understand the expectations this generation has of the companies with which they interact and begin to build strong brand loyalties. Purpose of Study 6 The purpose of the current study is to determine the level of importance for companies to use sustainability initiatives in their pursuit of targeting and subsequently building brand loyalty with Generation Y. While sustainability and green initiatives are trends that have been growing in individuals’ daily routines and in the marketplace at large, it is crucial for businesses to be able to understand the perceptions that Gen Y has towards this movement and the expectations that this generation has of the companies with which they conduct business. Determining the way of thinking of these potential consumers towards green efforts and the weight that these individuals place on this concept as a business strategy could prove to be a significant competitive advantage for marketers in the coming years. Definitions of Key Terms Generation Y (Gen Y) Generation Y is the demographic cohort including individuals born between the years of 1979 and 1994. Often referred to as Millennials or Echo Boomers, Generation Y is a cohort made up of about 60 million individuals who are all said to have very different preferences and characteristics than that of their predecessors. Generation Y is racially and ethnically diverse, more culturally liberal, and well versed in technology. A singular person from Generation will hence be referred to as a Generation Yer. 1 1 Neuborne, Ellen, and Kathleen Kerwin. "Generation Y." BusinessWeek 3616 (1999): 80-88. 7 Baby Boomers The Baby Boomer generation is the demographic cohort made up of individuals born between the years of 1946 and 1964. About 76 billion individuals make up this generation. Baby Boomers primarily make up the parents of Generation Yers. 2 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) There are as many definitions of corporate social responsibility, or CSR, as there are disagreements over the role of the corporation in society. For the current study, CSR will take on the following definition as developed by Lord Holmes and Richard Watts in Making Good Business Sense : “CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.”3 Sustainability 2 Rosenberg, Matt. "Baby Boom." About.com Geography . 27 Mar. 2009. 3 Baker, Mallen. "Corporate Social Responsibility - What Does It Mean?" Definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility . 8 June 2004. 8 The Brundtland Commission Report released by the UN General Assembly defines sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.4 Greenwashing The Greenwashing Index defines greenwashing as the act of a company or organization spending more time and money trying to convince customers that they are “green” than actually implementing business practices that minimize their environmental impact. An example of this would be a company advertising their progress with green technology when the foundation of the business is actually one that is detrimental to the environment. 5 Triple Bottom Line The Triple Bottom Line is the concept that companies are beginning to account for their net social and environmental impacts in addition to their traditional focus on financial sustainability. This concept is often referred to as the concept of the three pillars of People, Planet, Profit. 6 4 McGladrey. "Sustainability in Manufacturing - A Growing Trend." McGladrey . Mar. 2010. 5 Greenwashing Index. "About Greenwashing." Greenwashing Index . EnviroMedia Social Marketing and the University of Oregon. 6 Slaper, Timothy F., and Tanya J. Hall. "The Triple Bottom Line: What Is It and How Does It Work?" Indiana Business Review . 9 LITERATURE REVIEW Climate Change and Developing Awareness of Ecological Footprint While the sustainability movement was started in the 1970s with the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency and the push of many politicians to tighten regulations regarding the environment, the release of An Inconvenient Truth in 2005 was one of the first major media spotlights on global warming concerns. This film galvanized governments and communities alike into the idea that institutions and individuals have the ability to make simple, but distinct, changes to contribute to the green movement. 7 With climate change brought to the forefront of the media’s attention, it is only natural that controversy developed, and has since grown, concerning this movement. Scientists and politicians alike argue the validity of the claims of Al Gore, author of “An Inconvenient Truth”, in his book and film. The polarization of this topic is evident in people’s opinions on the actions and policies that should be taken to address the issue, or non-issue in some people’s eyes. While the consensus is that global warming is a long-term trend, most mainstream scientific organizations agree that the significant increase in warming over the past 50 years is likely related to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations emitted by humans. 8 7 Climate of Change . An Inconvenient Truth. Web. 04 Apr. 2012. 8 "Global Warming Controversy." ScienceDaily . Web. 04 Apr. 2012. 10 Sustainability and Green Initiatives as a Trend With the introduction of climate change warnings in the mainstream media, many individuals have moved towards altering their buying habits in order to be more sustainable. A number of companies have since capitalized on this trend in the market. The performance of green products, even during the time of the recession, is becoming increasing successful. A study done by the Boston Consulting Group that surveyed nine thousand consumers found that more consumers were “systematically” purchasing green products in 2008 than during 2007, even though the global economy was plunging. 9 The increasing numbers of organic, eco-friendly, “green” products facing consumers are at an all-time high and all evidence points to the fact that products such as this appearing on the market is more than just a fad. According to Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics, the number of green products launched in 2009 tripled that of those launched in 2008. 10 While niche companies, such as Seventh Generation, have been specializing in these products for many years, even companies like Wal-mart and Costco are following their leads.